"Ray, I got you an office job." It was the next day and Pep had finally emerged from her study.
"Waaah?" Ray looked up from her bowl of cereal to stare at Pep who was in the same set of clothes they went out in last night.
"As a trainer at a call center, it'll take the heat off of you." Pep explained.
Tash stayed quiet, she ate her Cinnamon Toast Crunch in peace waiting to be addressed, she hated sleeping alone and Pep knew that.
"Tash we have a trip coming up, in case you forgot." Pep stepped away going into the kitchen.
"Your oatmeal is in the microwave." Tash had her fist at her temple holding her head up, feeling a bit sad.
Ray looked between the two and decided it was best to not intervene. Pep walked into the kitchen to get her oatmeal from the microwave and added granola to the bowl, she realized Tash's attitude but she wasn't in the mood to argue or to even address it. They sat in silence for a while before there was knocking on the front door.
Tash pushed her bowl away and got up to walk towards the door, she took the gun from under the coffee table turning the safety off. She held the gun behind her as she tipped on her toes to look through the glass in the door. Once she saw the police, she dropped the gun in the flowers pot beside the door and calmed herself down.
She opened the door and said, "may I help you?"
"Tasheka Simmons?" The police that stood closer to the door asked.
"Nah, wrong house." Tash started to close the door but he pushed his foot to stop the door from closing then leaned forward to force it back open.
"Tasheka Simmons, you're under arrest..." the police started to read her rights as he and his partner grabbed her and flung her towards the floor pinning her arms behind her back.
"PEEEEEEP!!!" Tash cried out while thrashing about and trying to get the police off of her, they pinned her head to the floor and all she could do was scream.
Pep and Ray ran towards the front door realizing what was currently taking place. "What the fuck is going on here?" Pep asked the officer.
"Ma'am please step back." The officer held out his arm to block Pep.
Tash was thrashing and screaming under the police, Ray's heart was in her throat and all she could do was stare at the situation in front of her.
"Don't let them take me." Tash kept crying for Pep.
"I'm right behind you, I'll get this sorted out. I promise." Pep reassured Tash.
Pep knew she couldn't intervene, she knew that if she had then they'd have something to bring her into the station for and she couldn't afford to be brought in under any charges with the amount of heat that was currently on her. Tash cried as she was dragged and manhandled all the way to the police car, they pushed her and all Ray heard was her head banging against the roof before she screamed out again. She couldn't believe Tash was in that situation and she also didn't understand why.
Tash held her head low as she was personally escorted to the station, she knew her forehead would be bruised before the afternoon came. She felt uncomfortable in her shorts and tank top without a bra on, her teeth wasn't brushed and her face was oily and now dirty from being pressed onto the floor. She couldn't understand why she was being escorted to the station, she didn't hear anything over her own screams. Call her crazy, but Tash knew the sound of Pep's BMW and knew it was trailing behind the police car.
As soon as they got to the station, she confirmed it because Pep pulled up right after. Tash kept her head straight as she was dragged and pushed into the police station with persons staring at her, judging her. Pep and Ray followed the police in, they stopped at the receptionist demanding to speak with the superintendent; he was on Pep's payroll after all. Tash was taken directly into the interrogation room, they didn't process any files nor request any personal information from her.
"How do you still have time in the country?" The officer who attacked her sat on the other side of the table. "I'm sorry, let me introduce myself, I'm Officer Mayfield." He smiled.
"What kind of stupid question is that?" Tash chuckled.
"Excuse me?" He cocked his head to the side.
"You're excused." Tash leaned back on the iron chair.
"How do you keep getting additional time in your passport?" He asked her again.
"Ask the immigration officers." Tash shrugged her shoulders, of course she had links in immigration, one of them was a client of hers.
"We were informed that you're a prostitute." He blatantly asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Tash shook her head.
"What about your roommate?" Officer Mayfield asked.
"You mean my girlfriend?" Tash corrected him.
"I should let you stay locked up overnight so you can find out what happens to girls like you." He had a sick smile on his face that made Tash cringe.
Tash sighed and dropped her head low. She wasn't ready for this, she was scared out of her mind and she also had the habit of ratting herself out. "I'm not saying anything else until I get a lawyer." Tash folded her arms across her chest to prevent the other officer from staring at her.
"Where would you get money from for a lawyer? From all the sex you've been selling? It's illegal." Officer Mayfield slapped the table.
"Lawyer." Tash stared at the older man.
"Listen to me, we have some white men in our country that would like to put an end to this corruption so just work with us. Give up Pep and we'll negotiate a lighter sentence." Officer Mayfield was at wits end with this one, he needed to solve it because he needed that promotion.
Tash laughed and said, "lawyer."
Office Mayfield lifted his hand to slap her across the face when the door suddenly opened. "Have you lost your mind?" That was a voice Tash knew; superintendent Macburney.
"Uncuff her!" He shouted at the two officers.
"This isn't over." The officer threatened Tash as he roughly pulled the cuffs off her wrists.
"Yes, this is." Superintendent Macburney stepped in front of Tash pushing her behind him. "I'm sure you guys have some paper work to do." He said sternly.
"Yes, superintendent." The two officers bowed their heads and left the room.
"How did they get you?" Macburney took Tash's wrist in his hand to inspect it.
"They came up by the house and basically threw me on the ground." Tash explained while looking down at her wrists in the older man's hand.
"And Pep didn't fight?" He chuckled. They both walked out of the interrogation room with stoic faces.
Tash felt as if she was going to burst into tears, she'd never been in an experience like that before and quite frankly she never wanted to be in that position again. Seeing Pep, Tash stepped quickly and latched onto her body.
"I miss you." Tash held onto the tears a little while longer, she couldn't allow them to see any weakness nor fear.
"Did they do anything to you?" Pep pulled her from her arms and checked her face and showing skin for any bruises.
"They almost." Tash breathed in. She then lifted her fingers to touch the spot on her forehead where she hit her head on the police car. Wincing she said, "well they kinda did."
"Let's go guys." Ray pulled Tash into her side and walked behind Pep towards the car.
Ray and Tash sat cuddled together in the backseat while Pep took the long route home stopping at Jah B's to get food. Pep had her souls playlist on shuffle and the somber mood in the car only rose the hairs on Pep's skin even further, she was brought to a rude awakening seeing Tash on the ground screaming for her earlier. Once they got home, Tash made her way to take a shower then dressed in a white Hanes T-shirt with her sweatpants and socks, and crawled into bed at 11 AM. Minutes later both Ray and Pep followed her cuddling in beside her, Ray was just thinking about how far out of hand her life had gotten and Pep was racking her brain trying to find the best way to protect her business and the best way to get Tash out of it.
